- the old QF9 MEL-SIN sector, dependent on the track used and prevailing conditions, would track up over Uluru. On multiple occasions the tech crew made it special by banking the wings to gives the passengers on both sides a good view
When I was flying the 767, we did that so regularly that I had a couple of waypoints that I used to add to the FMC route, and it would do the sight seeing automatically.
- the various SYD-LAX flights are particularly boring. Dependent on the track flown the only standout land mass notable from a passenger perspective is Lord Howe Island about 1hour+ out of Sydney then on descent into LAX Santa Catalina Island
It's a big ocean...I've tracked well north of Honolulu, down to thousands of miles south. Scenic if you happen to fly right over it.
- what is now the QF25/26 SYD-HND-SYD sector and what was QF21/22 SYD-NRT-SYD flies over Guam and the equator. Even if you we trying to get some sleep you would know roughly where you where as the belt sign would come more often than not.
Works on most routes across the equator. When you find the ITCZ, you'll get the seat belts for a while.
- on the old QF2 service from LHR into BKK during the daylight part of the flight just past Kathmandu in Nepal would give you a great view of Mt Everest and up into Tibet.
Always a bit of a game trying to work out which one it was. You didn't get all that close. I think somewhere in the order of 200 miles...but it's a big hill.
- on one of my QF149 SYD-LAX flights i recall we track significantly further to the north (up over Hilo in the Hawaiian Island). About an hour or so out of LAX we got to see an early morning satellite launch out of Vandenburg Base in Southern California
I've been told by quite a few of the guys that they've seen launches over the top of the airways from Vandenburg. I've seen one from the ground, but it wasn't much more than a vertical contrail.
- flying the Canarsie approach into JFK was always exciting.
Curiously, it's not much different to the geometry of one of the visual approaches to Brisbane...but it just seems more exciting. The IGS in HK was always interesting, especially in marginal conditions.
From a tech crew perspective what are some of the more notable sectors and sights you look out for on what would be just another boring sector....
From a pilot's point of view, boring is good. It means nothing is going wrong. Most of my flights were boring, so generally the ones that stand out had something unexpected happen. The Manila diversion is obviously at the top of my list. First flights, either solo or in command also stand out. The A4 solo, and 767, 747 and 380 first trips in command are all memorable. You remember the flights were someone died (and whilst that happens to most airline pilots, hopefully it's not often).